I have seen that almost everyone builds planes using fuselages, I am wondering what the process of going about that is, like for example, do you first build the skeleton of the plane (like the wings and basic main fuselage to make sure it flies), or do you first build the plane without the skeleton (as in no functioning wings to turn and stuff) and then add the controls later? Thanks for your time
Thank you everyone for the replies, they have been very informative, I will probably try all the ways mentioned in here, to see what I am comfortable with, since I have never actually created a working plane from scratch, once again thank you all!
Personally, I do according to this plan:
stage number 1 (primary assembly)(the plane takes shape.).
1. make a cross to fit the plane.
2.Assembling the fuselage base.
3. make the cockpit (and engines, if they are in the fuselage).
4. make the base of the wings (with parts of the wing).
5. make a working tail unit.
stage 2 (flight prototype)(at this stage the plane can already fly):
6.check the correctness of all inputs (in flight).
7. make the wing volume.
8. make the chassis and engines (if on wings).
9. install weapons (if any).
stage number 3 (finishing)(bringing the aircraft to the final version):
10.making characteristics to the required.
11.test (takeoff, maneuvers, landing).
12.painting.
13.final test (intended use, endurance test, survivability test).
14. have fun.
(you can initially paint the plane with a primer in order to see its shape better)
I do everything as I go. Building everything without functionality and adding it later could cause unexpected complications.
I build fictional planes by doing the fuselage first, no flight surfaces.
@SuperRoto Same
First, I try to make the entire plane look realistic. Then, I make it fly well.
I just build the fuselage, using blueprints for reference adding wings, other functional parts next. Ending with design and aesthetic parts.
I use a very specific set of steps because that's what works for me, I think most good builders do it differently. I use a mod that lets me keep a blueprint in the background as I work.
FIRST, I look up the wingspan of what I will build. Then I build a rod with the exact length of the wingspan. Then I resize the blueprint image so the blueprint wingspan matches the wingspan rod.
Second, I throw away the wingspan rod. I build the shape of the fuselage to match the blueprint. Then I build the shape of the tail and the shape of the wings. There are all fuselage blocks, there is no engine/wing parts/ etc. at this point. I am careful to include all the control surfaces (ailerons, rudder, elevators, etc) but I do not use rotators yet. I am only making the shape of the airplane.
Third, I add in details like letters, numbers, paint patterns, cockpit interior. Stuff that doesn't move. (If there are moving cockpit parts, I add them in the next step)
Four, I finally add moving parts. I attach all the control surfaces to rotators, I install landing gear, interior moving parts, wing blocks and engines. I make sure nothing is bugged.
Five, I test takeoff, flight, weapons and landing. Landing is the most important because it tests how controllable your plane really is. This part takes a long time because I am careful to make sure the planes in-game top speed, stall speed, maneuverability etc. matches the real-life plane. I spend most of this time tweaking the drag, engine power, wing sizes, and control surfaces. It takes a long time. I also drop the plane from 25 feet above the pavement to make sure the landing gear doesn't snap off.